Humboldt penguin

The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) is a medium-sized penguin. It lives in South America, along the Pacific coast of Peru and Chile. It is related to the African penguin, the Magellanic penguin, and the Galápagos penguin. Both the penguin and the cold water current it swims in are named after the explorer Alexander von Humboldt.

Humboldt penguins make their homes on islands and rocky coasts. They dig holes in guano or use scrapes and caves for nesting. In South America, these penguins are only found along the Pacific coast, where their home range overlaps with that of the Magellanic penguin in central Chile. They sometimes live in mixed groups with Magellanic penguins in southern Chile.

Over the past few decades, Humboldt penguins have become popular with visitors, bringing attention through ecotourism. The species is considered vulnerable, with about 23,800 mature individuals in the wild, and their numbers are decreasing. Humboldt penguins also travel and can sometimes be found in Ecuador and Colombia.

Description

The Humboldt penguin is a medium-sized penguin that grows to be about 56 to 70 centimetres long and weighs between 2.9 and 6 kilograms. Both males and females look very similar, but males are usually heavier and larger. You can tell the sex by checking the head width and bill length, as males have longer bills.

These penguins have a black head with a white border that goes from behind the eye down around the neck and meets at the throat. Their backs are blackish-grey, and their bellies are whitish, with a black band across the chest that stretches down the sides to the thighs. The base of their bill is a fleshy pink colour. Young Humboldt penguins have dark heads and lack the black breast-band. They also have small spines on their tongues to help them hold onto their food.

Vocalisation

Humboldt penguins make different sounds to communicate. If another penguin gets too close, they make a warning sound called a Yell, and may peck or chase if the other penguin does not leave. When there are many penguins in one area, they may Yell more often as they become more protective of their space.

Another sound, called the Throb, is a soft call used between pairs when they are at the nest, especially when one returns to the other. The Haw is a short sound made by young penguins in the water or by pairs when one is in the water and the other is on land. The Bray is a long call used to attract a mate or show ownership of a territory before laying eggs or hatching chicks. Each Bray is unique to the penguin making it. During courtship, pairs make a special Bray together while standing close with their necks and heads pointed up.

Chicks make a Peep sound when they are asking for food.

Moulting

Most Humboldt penguins shed their old feathers and grow new ones between mid-January and mid-February. However, the exact time can change depending on where they live and if there is plenty of food. While they are molting, they stay on land until they finish and their new feathers grow in. Before molting, they eat extra food, a behaviour known as hyperphagia. The old feathers fall off and are replaced within two weeks.

Etymology

Both the Humboldt penguin and the Humboldt current were named after Alexander von Humboldt. In Peru, they are called the pajaro-niño, which means "baby-bird". This name comes from how the penguins walk and their wings, which look like a baby learning to walk on the beach.

Distribution and habitat

The Humboldt penguin lives along the west coast of South America. It breeds from southern Chile through dry coastal areas like the Atacama Desert and even up to north Peru. These penguins stay near the coast and on nearby islands, where a special ocean current called the Humboldt current brings plenty of food.

In 2002, a Humboldt penguin was found caught in a fishing net near Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. After being freed, the penguin was returned to the water. This was the first and only time a penguin like this has been seen in the wild in North America. It is not known if this penguin was wild or had escaped from a pet or zoo.

Ecology

Diet

The Humboldt penguin mainly eats fish that stay near the surface. They also eat squid and small creatures, but what they eat can change depending on where they live. Some groups eat mostly one kind of fish, while others eat several different kinds.

Foraging behaviour

Humboldt penguins hunt using their sight. They leave their islands after sunrise to find food, and they may travel different distances depending on where they live. They spend more time hunting at night and catch fish by diving a little way into the water.

Courtship

When Humboldt penguins want to find a partner, they bow their heads and look at each other. To show excitement, a bird stretches its head up, drops its chest, flaps its wings, and makes a loud call. Both birds in a pair do this together.

Reproduction

Humboldt penguins lay two eggs at the same time, about four days apart. It takes about 41 days for the eggs to hatch. They lay eggs from March through December, with more eggs in April and August to September. If the first eggs are lost, they can lay another set within a few months. The parents take turns watching the eggs while the other goes to find food.

Breeding sites

These penguins usually make their nests in burrows, but they can also use caves, hollow spots, cliff tops, beaches, and places with plants. Most of them nest on cliff tops.

Migration

During the time when they are raising their young, Humboldt penguins stay close to their nests. However, they can travel far if there is not enough food or if conditions change. They move between Peru, parts of former Bolivia, and Chile.

Threats

The Humboldt penguin faces several challenges that affect its survival. Changes in ocean patterns, like El Niño, reduce the food available for these penguins and force them to travel farther to find enough to eat.

Human activities also play a big role in threatening Humboldt penguins. Fishing can reduce the number of fish they need to survive, and the nets can sometimes catch penguins by accident. The presence of people near their nests can stress the penguins, causing them to abandon their eggs or chicks.

Animals introduced to their habitat, such as goats, rabbits, rats, and cats, also harm Humboldt penguins by eating their eggs or chasing away parents. Industrial projects, like power plants and mines, can disturb their living areas and create dangers such as oil spills, which can harm many penguins at once.

History of Population Decline

Over-exploitation of guano

The Humboldt penguin used to build its nests on islands along the coasts of Peru, Bolivia, and northern Chile, where thick layers of guano covered the ground. Guano was very valuable as a fertilizer and brought income to the Peruvian Government. People took the guano and the penguins' eggs, and sometimes killed the birds for their oil and skin. This activity destroyed the penguins' nesting spots and disturbed them, which helped cause their numbers to drop.

1982–83 El Niño phenomenon

Before the big weather event called the 1982–83 El Niño, scientists thought there were about 20,000 Humboldt penguins. But this event changed the environment a lot, and together with human activity, it caused many problems for the penguins. As a result, the penguin population dropped by 65%, and many young penguins did not survive. By 1984, only between 2,100 and 3,000 penguins were left, and they were all adults.

Conservation

The Humboldt penguin is protected by law in Peru and Chile. In 1977, Peru gave these penguins legal protection, and they are also listed under an international agreement to protect wildlife. Both countries have rules to help keep the penguins safe.

In 2010, the United States also agreed to protect the Humboldt penguin under its laws. Most of these penguins live in areas that are protected from harm. However, their numbers are going down because of changes in the climate, fewer fish to eat, and sometimes getting caught in fishing nets. Animals like rats and cats also threaten some groups of penguins.

In captivity

Humboldt penguins can be found in zoos all around the world, including Germany, India, South Korea, Ireland, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

One penguin from Tokyo Sea Life Park lived in Tokyo Bay for 82 days after escaping the zoo. It was later safely recaptured.

In 2009, two male Humboldt penguins at the Bremerhaven Zoo in Germany took care of an egg that had been abandoned. After it hatched, they raised the chick just like penguin parents would. In 2014, two other male penguins at Wingham Wildlife Park also took care of an egg given to them after its mother left it.

Gallery of captive animals

Here are some pictures of Humboldt penguins in different zoos around the world. You can see them in places like Newquay Zoo, St Louis Zoo, and Dublin Zoo. The photos show the penguins in many fun activities, like swimming underwater and even looking like they are "kissing"! They are also seen at zoos such as Cotswold Wildlife Park, Bremerhaven Zoo, and Oregon Zoo. Other locations include Jijamata Udyaan in Mumbai, India, Twycross Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo, Brookfield Zoo, and Parque de las Leyendas. There’s even a picture of a penguin during its moult at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary and one labeled Spheniscus humboldti at MHNT.